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Letter to the editor

Letter: Not just hot air

Posted
Thursday, March 2, 2017 10:15 am

The Senate is expected to vote soon on whether or not to repeal a Bureau of Land Management regulation that restricts methane emissions from oil and gas wells located on public lands. Capturing methane instead of venting or flaring reduces greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously creates a new revenue stream for the company that owns the well. Colorado pioneered this type of methane regulation and reaped both the economic and the environmental benefits, paving the way for similar regulations at the federal level.

According to his staffers, Senator Gardner supports an "all of the above" energy policy, is a staunch supporter of public lands, and believes both that climate change exists and that it is primarily caused by human activities. Keeping the BLM methane regulation on the books will increase energy production, improve air quality on public lands, and reduce a key driver of climate change. The Senator should find it easy to vote against repealing this regulation.